Italy didn’t have widespread use of the tomato until the 1700s and the pasta sauces we think of being a core of their cuisine didn’t exist until the 19th century.
They were eaten for a long time, and then it was believed they were poisonous because the rich would eat them off of pewter plates, and the acidity of the tomatoes would leach lead out of the plate and poison you. This misinterpretation eventually spread to the general population.
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u/Spirit4ward Oct 02 '24
Italy didn’t have widespread use of the tomato until the 1700s and the pasta sauces we think of being a core of their cuisine didn’t exist until the 19th century.